The ugly footwear trend has hit its stride, and the latest offering from Ugg (yes, those of celebrity-going-to-the-shops fame) and Y/Project are of the so-bad-they’re-good variety. The collection, which debuted on Wednesday during Paris Fashion Week Men’s on the Y/Project runway, have evoked every teenage emotion we had towards the footwear.

Love them or loathe them, Ugg boots made up a considerable amount of our life circa 2005–2009. Life was good, life was comfortable, life was Jack Wills tracksuit bottoms tucked into shearling boots. We were hygge before hygge was hygge. But fashionable? The verdict’s out.

Last season, Ugg teamed up with fashion funny man Jeremy Scott for a playful collection that made us believe that #ugglife was something we wanted to be part of.

For this season, the Californian mega-brand has upped the cool stakes – teaming up with brand of the moment and LVMH Prize finalist, Y/Project.

Y/Project’s main man, Glenn Martens, isn’t afraid of creating a peculiar piece and his taste isn’t for the faint-hearted – see his label’s 2017 ANDAM award-winning thigh-high boots. 

But his pieces are part of a fashion movement that celebrates individualism and we are all here for that, including Ugg, who have now experienced their most high fashion makeover to date.

“The Ugg Classic boot is one of the most recognisable shoes in history. Its timeless and challenging design made it a worldwide statement,” says Martens.

“Y/Project is about challenges,” he continued. “Since launch we’ve been twisting the grounded codes, we challenged the acceptable and triggered people by putting focus on the unexpected.”

The result of such a collaboration? Footwear that’s Jabba the Hutt meets Puss in Boots meets leg warmers. 

This could be peak ugly shoe trend, and this could be peak nostalgia talking, but somehow we’re kind of into it.

Images: UGG Australia / Rex Features